Title XI of the FIRREA requires all licensed and certified appraisers to successfully pass an examination that’s issued or endorsed by the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) of The Appraisal Foundation. That examination is known as the National Uniform Licensing and Certification Exam. Once you’ve completed your education requirements, you must pass the national exam as the final step toward earning your appraisal license.
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Who needs to take the exam?
Anyone looking to become a licensed or certified real estate appraiser must take and pass the national exam. There are actually three different exams—one for each license level. To become a licensed residential appraiser, you’ll need to take the Licensed Residential Examination. To become a certified residential appraiser, you’ll need to take the Certified Residential Examination. And to become a certified general appraiser (also known as a commercial appraiser), you’ll be required to take the Certified General Examination.
What education requirements do I need to fulfill before taking the exam?
Before you can take the exam, you must meet the AQB’s qualifying education requirements for your specific license level. The requirements are summarized in the following table:
Real property appraiser qualification criteria
Hours required include specific curriculum courses and hours — please see the Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria for details. Individual states may have stricter requirements.
What’s on the exam?
The National Uniform Licensing and Certification Exam contains broad conceptual topic areas established by the AQB. The questions are designed to test your understanding of the subject, as well as your ability to problem solve situational and real-life appraisal scenarios.
What is the exam format?
Each certification exam is comprised of 125 questions. 110 of those questions will be scored; the other 15 items are pre-test questions and will not be scored. You’ll be allowed up to the following length of time to complete each of the three examinations:
Licensed Residential Examination: 4 hours
Certified Residential Examination: 4 hours
Certified General Examination: 6 hours
Is the national certification exam difficult to pass?
Yes. According to The Appraisal Foundation exam statistics for 2018-2022, more than 1 in 3 people fail the Licensed Residential exam the first time, more than 1 in 3 people fail the Certified Residential exam the first time, and nearly 1 in 2 people fail the Certified General exam the first time.
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How can I prepare for the exam?
McKissock offers Appraisal Exam Prep packages for both the Licensed Residential Examination and the Certified Residential Examination. The packages are specifically designed to help you pass your national appraisal exam.
With our exam prep program, you can:
Attend virtual crammer sessions with expert appraisers to master key exam concepts.
Assess your skill level with 10 topic-based exams and more than 2,000 questions.
Learn key terms with 650+ flashcards, sorted by category.
Take five weighted exams that mirror the style and complexity of the national exam.
Improve your odds of passing on the first attempt.
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on September 25, 2020 and updated in July 2023.
